A Mermaid's Tail

DISCLAIMER: Sadly, I do not own Once Upon a Time or any of its fabulous characters. All recognizable players, dialogue, and/or magic spells belong to ABC and Disney.

Chapter 15

Red's mouth was completely dry and she could feel her heart hammering in her chest. She tried to straighten herself up in the wagon seat, hold back her anxiety with the knowledge that this was a good mission. It was a great plan. Not a suicidal one. For the most part, she was unsuccessful. It an attempt to think of something else for a moment, she addressed Rain behind her, "How are you doing?"

Rain fussed with her collar for a moment, scratching at it with her hind paws. I feel like a caged monster in here.

"Good," Red said. "That is what you're supposed to be."

Red tugged at her own collar of mail. The armor that Ariel had stripped off of the corpse in the woods was too big for her, too hot, too constricting, and very heavy. Granny had done some modifications so that at least the helmet would not slip off and the chest-plate fit relatively well. Who knew that the old bat possessed some blacksmithing skills? The black felt mask in front of her face gave the werewolf a degree of anonymity. She twisted the reins in her hands, taking in gulps of air as the cold wind blew by her face and they continued along the graveled path.

For a while, there was no sound other than the creaking of the wagon and the stomping of the draft horses' hooves. The stars and the moon shone in a canopy of cold light from the heavens. The wagon rumbled along, approaching a faint glow in the distance that shone through the darkened trees. The forest seemed to close in on the narrow road but the Red did not slow down. She gently guided the team behind another turn and suddenly, the gates of the Summer Palace loomed ahead. The light from a few dim torches illuminated its intimidating height and width, lavishing visitors with designs of iron roses, black swans, and sharp spars. As she moved the wagon across the large arched bridge that separated the palace from the forest, dread closed Red's throat.

Now remember, Rain cautioned from inside of the covered cage strapped to the back of the wagon. You're not a village girl. You're a cold-blooded member of the Queen's men with a passion for killing and you've come to collect a bounty on my miserable hide. You will skewer anyone who gets in your way and drive their guts right out of their…

"Will you knock it off!" Red whispered urgently. "You're making me nervous."

Rain chortled. You're already nervous and I was just trying to help. She was surprisingly chipper for a wolf in a cage.

Red turned around and was about to say so when she caught sight of dread in the animal's eyes, noticed the way her paws kept shifting in the small cage, and smelled a hint of fear. She realized then that she had misread Rain's reaction; she was not being joyful, she was masking her panic by joking around.

"Hey…" Red reached through the wooden bars of the small cage and stroked Rain's furry head. "It's going to be okay."

The white wolf let out a sigh as she leaned into the touch. She took her first big breath since getting into the damn cage. Hey, I'm just the distraction…its Ariel and Ella that have the hardest job.

Feeling somewhat better, Red shook herself and adjusted her helmet, making sure no hint of a red cloak showed underneath. The wind suddenly picked up, rushing the wagon along the stone bridge until Red felt that they would be shoved right into the iron gates. She glanced up at the full moon, so big and round, almost as bright as the sun. Its light gave her a sense of strength. They rambled up to the gate, where a couple of shadows were already re-forming themselves into dark, moving outlines. The silhouettes of a pair of guards, all dressed in black, began to form in the shade of the enormous stone wall. Rain whined disconcertedly.

"Halt!" a guard sauntered over, his spear pointing towards the heavens for now. Red tightened the reins and brought the horses to a halt, praying that the man's weapon would not point at her.

"What is your business here?" the man barked his question from behind his own black felt mask.

"Come to collect a bounty, that's what," Rain answered, in as gruff and rough a voice as she possibly could. She yanked back the heavy canvas, revealing the white wolf in a cage. To her own ears, it sounded so utterly obvious that she was a woman. Rain must have thought the same thing because she suddenly started snapping and snarling at the bars of her cage, throwing herself whole-heartedly into the role of a distraction.

The guard had jerked himself away from the wagon, a most embarrassing display of cowardice in the face of the roaring caged beast. "You know…" The man suddenly dropped his spear and drew a sword. "I've never had the pleasure of killing a wolf before."

Rain's paws dropped from the bars of the cage as she gave a hard, nearly earsplitting roar of fury, her lips drawing all the way back from her teeth. She was getting too impatient now and it might get her killed.

Red had to think quickly. "Funny…that is just what the Queen said, last time I saw her." She raised her voice over the snaps and growls of the caged beast. "But I'm sure she won't mind you depriving her of such fun. After all...she's a very forgiving sort of woman. "

Red heard the grumble in the man's throat as he slid his sword back into his scabbard reluctantly. Then he waved to his compatriot and said, "Enter then." The gates of the palace creaked painfully open.

Red re-covered the cage and held her breath until the wagon rumbled past the threshold. Twice the guards glanced up at her interestedly, and both times Rain's snarls tore their eyes away. Red tried not to make too much eye contact but she could not help and glance behind her as the gates thundered shut. The scent of the courtyard was suddenly overpowering. The stench of human perspiration, stale wood smoke, used tinder, and cold stone wafted into Red's sensitive nostrils. The square was clustered with many groups of knights, all armed to the teeth with swords, rapiers, spears, and shields.

Coming to the corner of the moon- and torch-lit square, Red stopped the wagon, always keeping at least ten meters away from her and the nearest batch of knights. She had expected to be terrified of them, these men were sent into the forest on missions to take Snow's heart. Instead, she was surprised at her observations of apathy and sheer boredom. They were uninterested in the newcomer, almost like she did not exist. They had no feelings towards anything, not even curiosity, just…empty. For a moment, Red wondered why she had been so afraid.

Her ears listening intently for any signs of trouble, Red leaned back and whispered to Rain, "Do you see it?"

There, Rain answered, nodding her narrow wolf-head towards an irregularly shaped door at the very corner of the courtyard. Unlike the other doors of the Summer Palace, this one appeared to be made of stone slabs. There was a rough wooden handle and the hinges were on the outside, just as Snow had said.

That will be the side entrance, said Rain.

Red lowered her voice further. "When the time comes, meet me at the sluice gate."

Rain chittered like a puppy and tilted her head. She turned completely around in her cage, obviously confused. Of course. She wouldn't know what a sluice gate was, being a creature of the forest.

"The water channel controlled by a large gate," Red corrected herself. "And whatever you do…do not…try anything too stupid!"

But Rain was hardly listening. To her, the night was alive with movement and she could not stand being in a cage, unable to join in the fun. The rush and whisper of the wind as it swept her fur, silent but full of passion, it was almost tickling. She began to pace, as any caged animal would, her paws scratching the door impatiently. Eager to be gone.

Red was worried. The young wolf was too antsy, eager almost, to do this thing. What if she acted without thinking and got herself killed? "Calm down," she said as she reached through the bars and stroked the small wolf's head.

Red slid out of the seat, patting the horses' heads as she walked slowly away. They had been patient beasts, tolerating Rain's roars of fury and snapping teeth with stoic complacency. As casually as possible, Red left the wagon and strode towards the side door Rain had found. There was a small noise from behind the door, Red had been expecting that. She slid into the shadows of the courtyard walls, keeping her eyes on the knights in case anyone started to notice her actions. Her right hand found the wooden latch of the door, and she tugged sharply. When the door was just barely open enough Red stretched out her hand and gestured rapidly.

"Hurry," she whispered as loud as she dared. Two figures, both dressed in 'borrowed' servant outfits, slipped into the shadows of the wall. The one with the better eyesight guided the other.

All of the heads of the nearest cluster of knights snapped up at the sound of the door opening. At first sight, it seemed as if a whole army was moving towards Red, but the she realized it was only a group of three that had been so distracted by the commotion they decided to investigate. She quickly shut the door again and stood her ground next to Rain's cage. As the armored trio closed in on her, Red had an impression of a wall of black, blocking her escape. The three large men prevented any forward movement, and the parapet wall was behind her. She was caught between the wagon and the stone borders of the fortification. They were angled together in the back and she was wedged between them.

"You there!" called the one in the middle. "What are you doing to that door?" All eyes were turned on her, so it was easy for the two other trespassers to slip away unnoticed.

"I wasn't…I was only…" Red stammered, trying to shove past the three. The three men planted themselves like stones and would not let her past. They all looked amused and it made her angry. The last time she had been surrounded by people with weapons, she had almost been killed. Right after Peter. She flushed, then became very annoyed at herself for being so spooked, and made a determined effort to get out of her corner.

A man stepped right in front of her, boldly stopping her tracks. "Just who are you to decide when the servant's door is to be open? What is your rank soldier?"

"No rank," Red replied proudly and a little angrily. The wolf inside of her was growing as restive as the wolf in the cage.

The two soldiers flanking the third waited for their leader's command. Red had seen this kind before; she'd met the type often in her travels with Snow. Bigheaded, without mercy, and lacking any moral. A suspicious expression flashed briefly in his un-masked face as the one in the middle studied Red. He whispered something illegible to the soldier on his right. The other man drew his sword, angled it upwards, and stepped straight towards Red.

A split second later, pandemonium erupted. With a roar of fury, the white wolf lunged out of the unlatched cage, and crashed on top of the men surround Red. She had been desperate to escape and now…she pounced onto the men with scary efficiency. Catching the trio by surprise probably saved her life, they were too shocked to fight back very well. One bolder fellow leaped forward, swinging his sword. A big mistake. Rain simple ducked, made a snake-like turn around the man's legs, and her incisors found the vulnerable spot at his calves where the black armor did not cover. The knight screamed and dropped his weapon. Red fetched him a hard crack on the side of the head with her fist and sent him to his knees. Then she chopped viscously downward at his skull with her elbow.

Nice move, Rain said behind her.

The other two men leaped clear of the snapping wolf and scurried away like a frightened child. Red spun on her heels, but she was too late to catch him. Between the two of them they had dispatched the trio of knights, but surely more would come. For now, their little escapade must remain the extent of their involvement.

I have to go now. Rain lifted her chin and her long wolf-tongue cleaned the man's blood from her muzzle. You'll be alright?

Red was amazed. The wolf was about to run full speed into a courtyard full of soldiers and her first concern was Red's own safety? All she had to do was open a door. She was about to answer when Red heard shouts and a crash. Most of the torches that had lit the courtyard had all been knocked clear and now lay extinguished in the damp stone floor, the yard was suddenly plunged in darkness. There was a shout of fury and Red knew the others had been successful.

In the wake of the sound, Rain felt a rush of satisfying and triumphing fury. The remaining band of soldiers barreled around the courtyard. Completely confused and unable to see anything without any light source. The white wolf was free and aquiver with excitement. Ready to run. Ready to give a chase. And so she did.

…

Ariel looked up at the top windows of the castle towers. No lights were shining and there seemed to be no sign of movement inside. That either meant that the castle was nearly deserted, or there was an entire brigade ready to pounce on them when they made their move to the inside. Knocking down the torches had most likely alerted someone to their presence. Unfolding her fists, she let out a sigh and watched while her breath formed into a heated mist. "This is it, you ready?"

Ella shook her head. "I'm not sure I am but we're going anyway."

Ariel started at this brutal honesty and opened her mouth to retort, but Ella continued. "The others are already in position. We will not have much time once we're inside. So let's go."

Ariel swallowed a gulp and rubbed her icy forearms, trying to hide her anxiety with a display of plain-cold. "Well, alright then," she managed to gulp past the lump in her throat.

With that, Ariel opened the side entrance door, the best point of access from the courtyard. Silently, the two teenagers crept into the castle. They found themselves in a simple stone hallway running the lengths of the palace wall. Ariel pulled Ella forward, peering into the blackness with her sharper mermaid senses. She wished her friend would wait outside where it was safer, but she knew suggesting such a thing was useless. Ella was fiercely loyal to her friends. They were most likely heading into disaster, but the notion of this did not stop the two.

The stone hallways led them to a wide meeting hall, its walls decorated with brightly colored tapestries of gold, silver, and red. The Summer Palace certainly lived up to its name: the whole motif of the tapestries was the brightness of summertime. The light of the torches cast wide arches of brightness onto finely matched furniture, a wide banquet table, and an entire collection of silver pieces in a locked glass cupboard. Though the rest of the castle was in the shade, this room appeared quite well-kept with its lit torches, dusted furniture, and well-pressed table clothes. A very good sign. Ariel's heart was pounding in her chest, as rapidly as after the queen had tried to extract it, while she scanned for guards. But no specters emerged from the corners to alert the entire castle of their presence. They continued to the other end of the meeting hall without any incidences, approaching a cacophony of stone-arched exits that could have led anywhere.

Silently, Ella took the map that she had sketched out of her pocket and glanced at it. Ariel had to really appreciate her friend's artistry skills now. Snow had only to describe the area, lay out a general idea, and Ella could sketch the entire perimeter using simply a charcoal pencil and a paper. Without the guidance of the map, they would surely have gotten lost in this labyrinth of stone and tapestries.

"This way," Ella whispered, nodding her head to the left.

They moved stealthily, ascending a flight of stairs to a second level where they found yet another hallway. This appeared to be filled with doors leading to living quarters. Ariel started towards the first door but Ella pulled her back. "Not that way," she murmured, turning to a half-hidden door behind the staircase.

"You sure?" Ariel could not help but whisper back.

Ella nodded and withdrew a second map, one with a more detailed outline that included symbols and paragraphs of instructions. "Snow said it was well hidden," she answered back, equally quite.

The small, creaky door led them to yet another flight of stairs, as steep as the first one. Ariel was beginning to wonder how many levels a castle really could have! Her legs were giving her great pains as they both climbed up. They reached the base of a trapdoor without any difficulties, stopping to draw breath and assess things.

"Ariel…" Ella's voice sounded pale in the darkness. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Ariel answered, a little too quickly.

Ella narrowed her eyes. The mermaid always wore her heart on her sleeve. "You're hurting aren't you?"

"It's nothing." Ariel rubbed her left leg to get some of the kinks out. "Where does the map say to—" Her fingers hit a sore spot and she sucked air through her teeth, pulling Ella's attention to her face.

"Ariel if you're hurting, you need to stop and rest."

The mermaid expression tightened as she shook her head. "We don't have time Ella. Rain and Red can only hold the fort for so long." She raised her thin arms and shoved the door with incredible force, unbecoming such a frail-looking teenager.

When the trap door swung open, Ariel was almost surprised that no one rushed over to capture them. The noise itself seemed deafening. How was everything going so smoothly? She looked down at Ella whose large eyes expressed a similar disbelief, but the blonde just nodded her head and started climbing up the ladder. Ariel pulled herself inside a narrow hallway, lit with a few torches. The floors were inlaid with the same stone as the rest of the building, but there was dampness between the stones and a slight foul smell. Ella followed Ariel down the hall and through an archway into a larger room, with two iron-rimmed doors built into the walls. Ariel could see the thickness and impenetrable designs.

"Second door," Ella answered Ariel's unvoiced question. "But we need a key." She studied the crude sketch she had done. "It should have a fleur design on it. And then it's…"

Ella breath caught. She stopped speaking, her wide eyes fixed on the corridor they had just come from, where the sound of approaching boot steps emanated.

Ariel reacted without thinking. She grabbed Ella's hand, pushed her into a small alcove next to an empty suit of armor, and then rounded back towards the sound.

"Ariel!" Ella's whisper was as high as she dared make it. "Are you crazy?! What are you…?" The mermaid placed a finger on Ella's mouth, silencing her as efficiently as if she'd used a gag.

Trust me The mermaid did not speak, but the message emanated in her sapphire eyes. It was dark in the hallways, but the faintly flickering torches cast just enough light for Ella to make out a pair of shadows moving along the walls. Coming right towards them.

…

Not one of the soldiers on duty looked up as Red strode quickly towards the outer gate house. They were much too occupied with the idea of a wolf on the loose. Red grimaced as she followed a dirt path down to the cold, slowly flowing water underneath the sluice access. The stones on the bottom were slick with green muck and the ice water penetrated her boots, soaking her feet cold.

Old cobwebs and low-hanging vines tickled her face as she stepped underneath the bridge of the sluice. Here was the grate that led out to the forest, but it was covered with thick iron bars and clogged with sewage debris. The light of the moon was gone now, but she saw well enough. Weeds and spider webs hid the threshold from sight, and dead vines covered the frame but Red's grouping eyes found it. A small wooden door, almost completely covered in green mildew, hidden in the stone sealant. She gave a small shove, and the door creaked open a crack. Dirty sluice water darkened the soil on the threshold. The tunnel beyond was dark but Red caught the smell of fresh pines and clean earth on the other side.

"Good call Snow," she whispered to herself. Now all she had to do was wait.

…

As Rain charged forward, she saw a knight knock an arrow and aim his bow right at her. She cleared the hay cart in front of her with one bound and as her four paws hit the ground, she felt the head of the bolt sear her back as it grazed into the guard hairs.

"Dammit!" the man cried out. "Missed."

Too close. Rain thought hurriedly.

She rounded a corner, intent on losing her pursuers, when her paws skidded to a stop. Another black guard was standing in front of her, twirling some kind of weapon over his head. The line of weights and cords sang as it spun in a loop, faster and faster, and then it arced towards Rain as it was released. The cords hit her forelegs, and the weights snapped around all her limbs, twirling several times before slamming painfully into her muscles. Rain's legs slide out from underneath her. As her weight pitched forward, the taunt lines dug cruelly into her skin.

"Gotcha!" the man yelled as he hurried over to where Rain lay stunned on the ground. He grabbed clumsily at his scabbard and yanked out his sword, raising it over her head to plunge.

The image of that flashing weapon would snap anyone out of a daze. Rain quickly knocked her furry forehead into the man's ankle, not enough to bring him down but enough to buy her precious seconds to change form. As he stumbled back a step, she curled into herself and slipped her human hands out of the bounds. The man tried again, re-raising his sword, and then Rain's boots slammed into his stomach as she pushed herself upward and forward with her arms. The man doubled over in pain. Before he could recover, Rain grabbed his arm and twisted him sideways using momentum, right into a wall. His head snapped back at the contact and he dropped to the ground, stunned not dead.

"Don't ever do that again," she told the unconscious man as she unwound the cords from her legs.

Rain rubbed her bare forearms tenderly. She had deep slices in her skin from the line and a nasty bruise was already forming on her jaw where she had slammed onto the ground. But it was so much better than the alternative. She glanced at the gleaming sword lying on the ground and shuddered. She hated weapons.

Hoof beats clobbered on the courtyard stones behind her. A mounted black knight with a drawn sword had wheeled his steed straight towards Rain. She fled on two legs into one of the narrow alleyways surrounding the square. It sloped upward like a ramp but ended at a blank wall. The alley was surrounded by buildings on all sides, the entrances to a few outer doors were barred and all of the windows were shuttered tight.

A shout rang out behind her. Rain turned and saw her only escape route blocked. "You there!" the man on horseback yelled at her. "Where is the wolf?"

Rain did not answer. She kept glancing around desperately, looking for an escape. The structures around her were several stories high, the walls too smooth for a climb. Can't get out that way. She turned back to the horse and rider, her exhausted brain calculating a crazy idea.

"I'll not ask you again wench!" He pointed his sword towards at her. "Where is the…" He gave a shout of surprise when Rain sprinted forward, changed into her other form, and attempted to dodge around the horses legs. For once, it paid to be a small animal. Horse and men swept beside her in blur of animal and human smell but she still wasn't fast enough. The stallion's hind legs lashed out at and caught her on the shoulder, kicking her aside. She rolled painfully on the cobbles, and then staggered towards the center of the square.

Because of the blow she received, she had to pause and allow her vision to clear. Bloody hell she growled a curse. They fight better than I expected. Her side was in terrible pain.

The respite did not last long. Horse and rider had turned with incredible grace and came charging at her again, the fore hooves striking the stones so hard a few went flying. The knight on top flashed pearly white teeth in a gleam of satisfaction. He had her now. Rain stood her ground, knowing full well that if she tried to flee he would simply overtake her and cut her down from his mount. She was too tired to run very fast.

At the last second, right when Rain was planning a pounce, a large black mass flung itself at the rider. He was knocked clear, but his stallion continued to charge. The animal was blind with hate and still wanted to run her down, he had obviously met wolves before. Rain saw an opening and took it. Changing quickly, she dodged and grabbed the animal's bit, yanking its head hard to the right. The horse could not stop his momentum fast enough and its legs slipped from underneath him. Rain jumped away from the flailing hooves as horseflesh came crashing down. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the knight on his back swinging a sword only to have a furry head descend over his hand, and sink its long, white teeth into the forearm. Red ripped into the armored gauntlet, headless of his screams.

"That's enough!" Rain shouted. "Come on." She was ignored.

Desperate to get out of there, Rain lunged forward, wrapped her arms around Red's neck, gently, and pulled her away from the fallen knight. She knelt as a human girl in front of Red. Deliberately, she reached out and steadied the wolf's muzzle to look into her eyes. Her small hands were very near the large canines as she stared Red down.

"We're wolves…not monsters," she murmured, not breaking eye contact even to blink.

Red whined softly then grunted in her throat. With her human ears Rain could not understand specific words; wolf language was far below and above the normal human range of hearing. But she did acknowledge the consensus. Smiling, she nudged her head into Red's, nuzzling as if still a wolf.

They both barely had time for hiatus before the man started screaming at the top of his lungs. "Kill them both!" He stared at them both from on his back. "They are in league together! Kill the damned things! Demons…"—his shouts were cut short by Rain giving him a clubbing blow with her fist.

But his cries had alerted others. Hooves thundered on the cobblestones of outer rim of the square. Red turned and saw more men coming towards them, brandishing both weapons and torches. The square was slowly filling with mounted Queen's troop, more than they had anticipated. She was frantic now. Her distraction with the guard on the ground might get them both killed. She braced herself for a run, but became aware for the first time that Rain was injured. She smelled the wound on her back and saw the bloody strips on her arms.

It's not life-threatening Rain was a wolf again. Not even serious. Her small white muzzle lifted and licked Red's face enthusiastically. You were amazing by the way!

Red shook her furry head and tried to lead the young wolf away, quickening her pace into a trot. Not as amazing if we are both killed now. She glanced behind to do a quick calculation of the approaching group of men and was disappointed. Far too many for two lone wolves to challenge. A few arrows whizzed past their shoulders and she trembled.

Rain however, was more than ready for a good brawl. Two wolves against an army of the Queen's men...we can take 'em!

She flattened her ears and lunged forward, only to have Red clamp her teeth on her neck cuff and drag her back, firmly but gently. No! We are not here to fight. We're wolves, not monsters…remember? She gave the young one a good shake to make sure the message was clear.

We're leaving and we're meeting the others. Red continued. So come on!

…

Snow knelt perfectly still next to the tree, motionless as a rabbit being stalked. The night breeze was cold against her skin, but she did not shift to even pull her cloak tighter. This was the closest she had been to her father's Summer Palace in over a year, and she had never known such fear. Not fear for herself, but for her friends who were inside at this very moment. She could feel the quiver of tension building inside of her as she adjusted Red's bow on her back.

It was against everything she believed in to be out here, alone, while the ones she loved might be in danger. But Red had adamantly insisted she stay outside the palace walls. If they saw my face I wouldn't last two seconds. Snow thought bitterly. But what if they find Red? What if they capture Ariel again?

Fury exploded in her as she seethed against Queen Regina trying to hunt her down, preventing her from being with her family on this important night. If anyone of my friends gets hurt, I'll…I'll…her vengeful musings were interrupted by howls in the night. Two separate howls.

"Red!" In her panic, she forgot to keep quite. She quickly raised herself up and stole through the pack of evergreen trees of what was once a royal grove outside the walls. She ran forward, stopped and knelt again, screening herself with the tall grass to listen and watch anxiously.

She knew that howl well. Red. She eased to one side, and tried to see what was happening through the large, barred back gate. Her eyes, sharper than most princesses, were useless in this dim light. Too far away. She drew closer still, taking a great risk at being spotted by one of the guards on top of the parapets. She peered through a screen of leafy bushes and tall grass at the commotion in the courtyard.

Oh Red, she thought apprehensively.

…

The guard that had come through the corridor turned out to be a blessing in disguise. After Ariel had dispatched him with a quick rap on his helmeted head, she relieved him of his keys and dinner pail. He was one of the jailors sent to bring food to the prisoners of the Queen. Their servant disguises had helped them walk through the palace unnoticed, but the pretense of feeding the prisoners was an even better ruse. All of the soldiers along the next corridors barely glanced up as they walked by.

Ariel felt something brush against her arm and realized that Ella had stepped closer to her. "You don't look like a servant," Ella whispered in apprehensive recognition. "Hunch your back more. Keep your head lowered and don't look anyone in the eye."

Ariel studied her friend and realized just then that she did tend to hunch a lot. No one must notice them, they were simply two more servants in the Queen's palace. They might as well be invisible. She tried to imitate Ella. "Like this?" she whispered back.

The slight hint of a smile tugged at Ella's lips. "Perfect."

Ella herself slipped into the role with disturbing ease with lowered eyes and stooped shoulders. She almost never forgot her place back home. If she had, Lady Tremaine would painfully remind her.

They turned a corner and suddenly a guard appeared out of the shadows. He was blocking the last doorway and holding a huge spear in a firm grip as he stood his post. "You two!" he called out. "What are you doing?"

His voice reminded Ariel of a seal, barking darkly at a usurper to his harem. "Bringing supper to the prisoners," she answered holding up the pathetic-looking dinner pail she had 'borrowed'.

The guard looked down at both of them, his eyes narrowed and his brows drew together as he questioned their appearance. "You are not the usual," he commented, seemingly slightly bewildered.

Ella wanted to cringe away, to flee at the sound of his suspicion but she didn't. She realized that if she did, her friend Eric would be lost. "The other gentleman is indisposed so he asked a couple of the kitchen girls to bring the meal," she said quietly. Her whole body was quivering.

Suspicion continued to cloud the man's eyes as he stared down at the two teenage girls. "Did he?" he asked. "He'll be reported for his." Then, after another agonizing moment of wait, he stepped aside from the doorway.

Both Ariel and Ella shuffled in, making sure to move neither too fast nor too slow. The guard turned as they passed to peer more closely at them, but then a pair of howls broke out in the courtyard and he found more interesting things to study. He left his post to see what the trouble outside was about.

Ariel reached behind her and squeezed her friend's hand. "Good job Ella," she said once she was sure they were out of hearing range. "That was quick thinking." She resumed her focus on the prison corridor.

Ella shook her head. "No it wasn't a good job. I can never do anything right you know," she added with all the humility of her soul. She hesitated then spoke again. "No one thinks I can do anything…"

Ariel turned to scowl at her. "Stop that! Stop putting yourself down." She cocked her head and narrowed her eyes sharply. "Believe in yourself! If you think you can do it, you can. And if you think you can't do it, then you're probably right."

Shock froze Ella into place. She had not expected the mermaid to be so…blunt. Ella was still getting used to the idea that her friend could talk, and apparently, express her displeasure. She had thought she could easily dismiss the ranting and raving of her stepfamily, but maybe it had rubbed off?

So how do you believe in yourself when everyone says you will fail, she thought musingly.

She would have like to ask Ariel for advice, but the mermaid was already walking along the corridor of barred doors. Ella followed, averting her eyes from peering sideways into the cells of the poor wrenches that were imprisoned here. Even her human nose could smell the foulness of this place, the fact that she was a cleaning maid back home made her even more sensitive. The air reeked of stale water and mold. The odor of the prison was worse than the lye soap she used at home, triggering a wave of nausea inside of her. Ella clenched her teeth and tried to breathe through her mouth as she followed Ariel down the corridor.

Where Ella was trying to inhale as little as possible, Ariel was doing the exact opposite. She hurried down the passage, pausing at every other barred door to peer into the dark hole and take a good whiff. She looked exactly like a bloodhound on the scent, if a blood hound was a mermaid and was looking for her lost love of course. Ella could not imagine finding Eric via scent in this stinky place, but Ariel seemed sure of herself.

It was not until they reached the end of the corridor that the mermaid paused at the bars of a final door. The silence that followed was, in many ways, more agonizing than the previous clamor of the searching part. Ariel gripped her hands into a fist, peering up and down the hallway for any sign of the Queen's men. Now that they were here, she felt the same annoying sense of hesitation that had made her pause when she first kissed Eric in the boat.

Ella touched her hand gently. "Come on. You said so yourself…if you think you can do it, you can."

Ariel swallowed and approached the door. She took out the 'borrowed' set of jailer's keys and tried the first…then another…then another…until finally one fit perfectly and turned at her command. Blackness lay beyond the threshold. She heard Ella draw a quick breath. Unclenching her hands from the fist, Ariel stepped through the doorway. Her booted foot touched a stone floor. Another step, and her sharp mermaid eyes began to adjust, the darkness began to fade. The walls were all made of tightly sealed stone, marred only be the occasional ring of iron thrust into the sealant. Ariel kept walking until she was in the center of the dark room.

In the far corner of the small cell, sitting cross-legged on a stone bunk, was Eric.

Ariel opened her mouth, and then closed it again. How do you talk to someone you hadn't seen in months, who might not remember who you were? She glanced behind her but Ella had stayed at the doorway, waiting for Ariel to take the lead.

Ariel swallowed and approached the bunk. "Hello?"

His eyes narrowed as he studied her. Ariel's chest tightened but she continued to approach. "Eric?"

Eric compressed his lips but his expression did not change. His hair was longer than when Ariel had last seen him, making him look almost wild, but…in a nice way? His skin had paled considerably and his arms were less muscular, his movements more lethargic. Ariel scanned his scruffy, stubbled face for any recognition, anything at all.

"Who…who are…" he asked slowly as he stood on his legs. He seemed to stumble on the words, crushing any hope of immediate recollection in Ariel. She had to do something drastic.

Ariel moved before she could change her mind. She stepped forward quickly and gently grabbed Eric's stubbled jaw in both her hands. Before he could react, she leaned forward and did the one thing she felt for sure would restore his memories.

She kissed him hard on the lips.

Ariel held herself in the delicious embrace until she felt his strong hands driving into her shoulders, knocking her back. "What the…what the hell are you doing!?" Eric stepped away from Ariel, clearly shaken by what she had just done. "What was that about?" His fingers brushed his lips and he flushed red.

His expression of shock hurt Ariel more than anything she thought possible, more than anything Ursula, the Evil Queen, or her sisters had ever done to her. She was rooted to the spot, keeping her hands to her side so as not to spook him again. This was Eric. He loved her, he had said so himself. "This doesn't make any sense…," she lamented. "Why didn't true love's kiss work?"

"You think I love you?" Eric stared at her. "I don't even know you."

Ariel felt a blow, deep in her soul. She had dragged her friends into the strong-hold of the Queen's palace, risked their lives, and her own, only to discover that the spell could not be lifted by true love's kiss? Incredibly, her first thought after processing all of this was, Now what?

Note: "Never had the pleasure of killing a wolf…" this dialogue is sourced from the 1985 film "LadyHawke", a fairytale from our own time.

Much more to come, no worries! Thanks to all of my regulars and newcomers who are reading this rendition of everyone's favorite mermaid. "Mermaid's Tail" is such fun to write!

Stay tuned for a very messy escape!